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Iran’s Sham Elections and the Rise of a Military Junta: A Threat to US Interests
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 2, 2022. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
World events, including the US presidential election this year, are causing considerable anxiety within the Iranian regime, which is fervently preparing for this possibility by seeking to preserve its oppressive system and ensure a smooth succession from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to his son. Driven by Khamenei’s delusional ambition of expanding the Shia Crescent and challenging the global order, Iran is aligning itself more closely with China and Russia, further exacerbating its international isolation.
For Ali Khamenei and his heir, orchestrating a seamless transition after Khamenei’s demise to uphold the Islamic Republic’s doctrinal governance remains their paramount objective. This singular goal underscores the despotic nature of Iran’s religious leadership, which continues to lean heavily on China and Russia, while maintaining its antagonism towards the West, the United States, and Israel.
In the annals of political theater, few spectacles rival the farcical charade that are Iranian elections. As the nation gears up for yet another orchestrated display of “democracy,” the ruling clerical establishment’s sole objective remains the preservation of its iron-fisted grip on power, and the perpetuation of its archaic system of religious despotism.
The carefully curated slate of candidates, handpicked by the regime’s Guardian Council, is a motley crew of swindlers, fools, and stooges, each one a loyal servant to the regime’s interests.
Dissenting voices are swiftly disqualified, ensuring that the outcome is predetermined, a mere formality in the grand scheme of things. Voter turnout, whether high or low, is inconsequential to the ruling elite. Official figures are routinely inflated through a well-oiled propaganda machine, projecting an illusion of legitimacy to the outside world. The reality, however, is far more sobering, with genuine participation estimated to be a small minority of the electorate.
The candidates, meticulously vetted and selected by the Guardian Council, are predominantly from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or the Ministry of Intelligence. This selection underscores a continuity in Iran’s policy of militaristic and clerical dominance, with each candidate demonstrating unwavering loyalty to Khamenei’s overarching vision.
Former CIA director Michael Morell’s alarming assertion in Foreign Affairs that, “The U.S. is on the brink of facing a significant terrorist threat,” resonates deeply in this context. This narrative parallels the ignored warnings prior to 9/11, painting a foreboding picture of the consequences of underestimating the signals emanating from Iran. The regime’s persistent support for networks like the Islamic Resistance, amid preparations for a possible Trump presidency, highlights a steadfast commitment to its long-standing strategies of regional and global disruption.
The Reformist Mirage and the Public Discontent
Even the so-called “reformists,” once hailed as harbingers of change, have been co-opted into the system, pledging allegiance to Khamenei in a desperate bid to remain within the regime’s fold. Their promises of moderation ring hollow, as they too are mere pawns in the grand game of power, their aspirations for reform sacrificed at the altar of self-preservation.
As the protests of the past seven to eight years have demonstrated, the chasm between the regime and the people of Iran has grown ever wider. International isolation, coupled with the regime’s conflict with Israel and its support for terrorist groups across the Shiite Crescent, have further eroded its credibility and legitimacy.
Ali Khamenei, the self-proclaimed “Supreme Leader,” cuts a pathetic figure — a vindictive, narcissistic, performative, and delusional clown — clinging to the status quo with a desperation that borders on the absurd. His preferred choice for the presidency is likely to be a candidate from the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), further entrenching the regime’s authoritarian grip.
The next president will undoubtedly be chosen from among the candidates from the IRGC or the Ministry of Intelligence, as the IRGC is adamant about not weakening its Islamic terrorism network (Islamic Resistance) in any way. The regime has drawn its swords; it has no intention of compromising. The presidential debates in Iran are set to be broadcast on the regime’s television networks shortly. It’s important to note that the primary audience for the candidates is not the Iranian public, but rather Khamenei himself. The candidates are keen on winning his favor by any means necessary.
As Iran seemingly transitions towards a junta-like regime, the ten critical aspects defining this shift include military dominance, authoritarian mullah rule, heightened suppression of opposition, centralized power, drastic curtailment of freedoms, rigorous control of information and censorship, utilization of military force, mafia-style economic dominance, rampant human rights violations, and continued international isolation.
The Path Forward: Regime Change or Perpetual Oppression
It is vital to recognize that both the regime’s hardliners and the so-called moderates are merely two sides of the same coin, endorsing suppression, terrorism, and propaganda. The prevailing discourse of regime change significantly outweighs the rhetoric of electoral participation in this authoritarian theatre. The Iranian populace, largely indifferent and disenchanted, seeks alternatives beyond the stagnant and unyielding dichotomy of reformists and hardliners. The regime’s quest is self-preservation, but Iranian society has already moved beyond both factions.
As Iran teeters on the brink of becoming a full-fledged military junta, the writing is on the wall — the regime’s stranglehold on power, its suppression of dissent, its control over information and censorship, its human rights violations, and its international isolation are all hallmarks of a system that has long since lost its legitimacy.
The discourse of “overthrowing and regime change” has become the rallying cry for a populace that has grown weary of the empty promises and hollow rhetoric of the ruling elite.
Still, as the Iranian regime remains in power — and grows more desperate — this increases the threat against the US and the West. The regime in Tehran will continue to use terrorism and its military proxies to sew chaos in the regime, and ensure it always comes out on top.
It is time for the world to recognize that the path forward for Iran lies not in the perpetuation of the farcical charade of dictatorial rule, but in the embrace of genuine democratic change, one that respects the will of the people and restores their fundamental rights and freedoms.
As the world watches, the imperative for recognizing and addressing the true challenges posed by Iran’s strategic maneuvers becomes not just necessary, but urgent.
Erfan Fard is a counterterrorism analyst and Middle East Studies researcher based in Washington, DC. Twitter@EQFARD.
The post Iran’s Sham Elections and the Rise of a Military Junta: A Threat to US Interests first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Security Warning to Israelis Vacationing Abroad Ahead of holidays
A passenger arrives to a terminal at Ben Gurion international airport before Israel bans international flights, January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) published the latest threat assessment to Israelis abroad from terrorist groups to the public on Sunday, in order to increase the Israeli public’s awareness of the existing terrorist threats around the world and encourage individuals to take preventive action accordingly.
The NSC specified that the warning is an up-to-date reflection of the main trends in the activities of terrorist groups around the world and their impact on the level of threat posed to Israelis abroad during these times, but the travel warnings and restrictions themselves are not new.
“As the Gaza war continues and in parallel with the increasing threat of terrorism, the National Security Headquarters stated it has recognized a trend of worsening and increasing violent antisemitic incidents and escalating steps by anti-Israel groups, to the point of physically harming Israelis and Jews abroad. This is in light of, among other things, the anti-Israel narrative and the negative media campaign by pro-Palestinian elements — a trend that may encourage and motivate extremist elements to carry out terrorist activities against Israelis or Jews abroad,” the statement read.
“Therefore, the National Security Bureau is reinforcing its recommendation to the Israeli public to act with responsibility during this time when traveling abroad, to check the status of the National Security Bureau’s travel warnings (before purchasing tickets to the destination,) and to act in accordance with the travel warning recommendations and the level of risk in the country they are visiting,” it listed, adding that, as illustrated in the past year, these warnings are well-founded and reflect a tangible and valid threat potential.
The statement also emphasized the risk of sharing content on social media networks indicating current or past service in the Israeli security forces, as these posts increase the risk of being marked by various parties as a target. “Therefore, the National Security Council recommends that you do not upload to social networks, in any way, content that indicates service in the security forces, operational activity, or similar content, as well as real-time locations.”
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Israel Intensifies Gaza City Bombing as Rubio Arrives
Displaced Palestinians, fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in the central Gaza Strip September 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Israeli forces destroyed at least 30 residential buildings in Gaza City and forced thousands of people from their homes, Palestinian officials said, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Sunday to discuss the future of the conflict.
Israel has said it plans to seize the city, where about a million Palestinians have been sheltering, as part of its declared aim of eliminating the terrorist group Hamas, and has intensified attacks on what it has called Hamas’ last bastion.
The group’s political leadership, which has engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal, was targeted by Israel in an airstrike in Doha on Tuesday in an attack that drew widespread condemnation.
Qatar will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday to discuss the next moves. Rubio said Washington wanted to talk about how to free the 48 hostages – of whom 20 are believed to be still alive – still held by Hamas in Gaza and rebuild the coastal strip.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them (the Israeli leadership). We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” Rubio said before heading to Israel where he will stay until Tuesday.
ABRAHAM ACCORDS AT RISK
He was expected to visit the Western Wall Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem on Sunday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold talks with him during the visit.
US officials described Tuesday’s strike on the territory of a close US ally as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests. Rubio and US President Donald Trump both met Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Friday.
Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state – a move the United Arab Emirates warned would undermine the US-brokered Abraham accords that normalized UAE relations with Israel.
Israel, which blocked all food from entering Gaza for 11 weeks earlier this year, has been allowing more aid into the enclave since late July to prevent further food shortages, though the United Nations says far more is needed.
It says it wants civilians to leave Gaza City before it sends more ground forces in. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have left but hundreds of thousands remain in the area. Hamas has called on people not to leave.
Israeli army forces have been operating inside at least four eastern suburbs for weeks, turning most of at least three of them into wastelands. It is closing in on the center and the western areas of the territory, where most of the displaced people are taking shelter.
Many are reluctant to leave, saying there is not enough space or safety in the south, where Israel has told them to go to what it has designated as a humanitarian zone.
Some say they cannot afford to leave while others say they were hoping the Arab leaders meeting on Monday in Qatar would pressure Israel to scrap its planned offensive.
“The bombardment intensified everywhere and we took down the tents, more than twenty families, we do not know where to go,” said Musbah Al-Kafarna, displaced in Gaza City.
Israel said it had completed five waves of air strikes on Gaza City over the past week, targeting more than 500 sites, including Hamas reconnaissance and sniper sites, buildings containing tunnel openings and weapons depots.
Local officials, who do not distinguish between militant and civilian casualties, say at least 40 people were killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, a least 28 in Gaza City alone.
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Turkey Warns of Escalation as Israel Expands Strikes Beyond Gaza
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
i24 News – An Israeli strike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar has sparked unease among several Middle Eastern countries that host leaders of the group, with Turkey among the most alarmed.
Officials in Ankara are increasingly worried about how far Israel might go in pursuing those it holds responsible for the October 7 attacks.
Israel’s prime minister effectively acknowledged that the Qatar operation failed to eliminate the Hamas leadership, while stressing the broader point the strike was meant to make: “They enjoy no immunity,” the government said.
On X, Prime Minister Netanyahu went further, writing that “the elimination of Hamas leaders would put an end to the war.”
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, summed up Ankara’s reaction: “The attack in Qatar showed that the Israeli government is ready to do anything.”
Legally and diplomatically, Turkey occupies a delicate position. As a NATO member, any military operation or targeted killing on its soil could inflame tensions within the alliance and challenge mutual security commitments.
Analysts caution, however, that Israel could opt for covert measures, operations carried out without public acknowledgement, a prospect that has increased anxiety in governments across the region.
Israeli officials remain defiant. In an interview with Ynet, Minister Ze’ev Elkin said: “As long as we have not stopped them, we will pursue them everywhere in the world and settle our accounts with them.” The episode underscores growing fears that efforts to hunt Hamas figures beyond Gaza could widen regional friction and complicate diplomatic relationships.